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I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing
| cover = I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Pet Shop Boys
| album = Very
| B-side =
| released =
| recorded = 1992
| studio =
| genre = Dance-pop
| length =
| label = Parlophone
| writer =
| producer = Pet Shop Boys
| prev_title = Go West
| prev_year = 1993
| next_title = Liberation
| next_year = 1994
| misc =
}}
"'I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing'" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys from their fifth studio album, 'Very' (1993). The song describes a person normally hesitant to unwind and show his feelings, whobecause of some event in his lifesuddenly becomes willing to loosen up. It was released in the United Kingdom on 29 November 1993 as the album's third single, reaching number 13 on the UK Singles Chart. In the United States, where it was released in January 1994, it reached number two on the 'Billboard' Hot Dance Club Play chart.
Critical reception
Larry Flick from 'Billboard' wrote, "PSB's lauded "'Very'" project spawns another club winner as they combine their patented pop/disco electro-grooves with sharp, clever lyrics. The hook is quite memorable, while a plethora of trance-ish remixes is right in the pocket of current dance trends. Lively album version also is a total joy, and deserves more than a just cursory push from EMI's pop promotion department." Dave Sholin from the 'Gavin Report' concluded, "It's impossible to hear Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant's trademark sound and not believe this pair has great fun making their music." He added that the music video "recalls the days when Twiggy set fashion trends."
Music writer James Masterton praised the track in his weekly UK chart commentary, stating that the duo "have picked the other standout track" from the album after "Go West", adding that it "is far and away the happiest, most barking mad pop single they have released in their seven year career and is all the better for it." He concluded, "Alright, so I like it, but it deserves to be big." Alan Jones from 'Music Week' rated it four out of five, and also picked it as "one of the standout tracks" of the album. He noted that it "is tweaked into even better shape by the Beatmasters and DJ Pierre, and judging from the artwork, the video should be a hoot." He also complimented it as "one of the hottest records of the winter." James Hamilton from the magazine's 'RM' Dance Update described it as "swirling pure disco".
Music video
A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by Howard Greenhalgh.
Remixes and b-sides
The song was extensively remixed by the Beatmasters for its release as a single, with a new intro replacing the house piano of the album version. Tennant and Lowe came to prefer aspects of this remix and particularly the new intro, playing it on their 'Electric' tour and including a version of the song with it on their 'PopArt' greatest hits compilation (see below).
The single release was bolstered by a large amount of bonus material available across a wide range of formats, on top of the nine remixes commissioned. The main B-side is "Too Many People" (which itself was featured over the credits of the 'Daria' episode entitled "Lane Miserables"), but the single also featured remixes of 'Please' tracks "Violence" and "West End Girls".
Packaging
In the UK, the first CD single came in a rubber sleeve, that held both CD one and two. This was very similar to the packaging for 'Very Relentless'.
As with the previous singles from 'Very', the duo donned new outfits for the single's promotional campaign. Chris featured in a blonde wig with a pink and white costume, while Neil was adorned in a brunette wig and darker clothing.
Robbie Williams version
A cover version of "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" by Robbie Williams appeared as the B-side to his single "Let Me Entertain You" in 1998. His version of the song can also be heard in the US sitcom 'Friends' in the episode entitled "The One with the Routine".
Track listings
* '7-inch: Parlophone / R 6370 (UK)'
# "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" (Beatmasters 7-inch) 4:45
# "Too Many People" 4:19
(Also available on cassette (Parlophone / TCR 6370))
* '12-inch: Parlophone / 12R 6370 (UK)'
# "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" (extended nude mix) 7:49
# "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" (Grandballroom mix) 6:32
# "West End Girls" (Sasha remix) 7:45
# "West End Girls" (Sasha dub) 8:16
* '12-inch: Parlophone / 12RX 6370 (UK)'
# "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" (Wild pitch mix) 8:22
# "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" (Wild tribal beats) 3:49
# "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" (club mix) 7:10
# "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" (Wild Pitch dub) 7:45
* '12-inch: EMI / Y-58122 (US)'
# "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" (club mix) 7:10
# "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" (Grand Ballroom Dub) 6:30 *
# "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" (album version) 3:04
# "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" (Extended Nude Mix) 7:48
# "West End Girls" (Sasha Mix) 7:45
(The label lists (Grand Ballroom Dub) 6:30 but instead has (Grand Ballroom mix) 6:41.)
* 'CD: Parlophone / CDRS 6370 (UK)'
# "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" (album mix) 3:04
# "Too Many People" 4:19
# "Violence" (Haienda version) 4:58
# "West End Girls" (sasha remix) 7:45
* 'CD: Parlophone / CDR 6370 (UK)'
# "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" (Beatmasters 7-inch) 4:45
# "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" (extended nude mix) 7:49
# "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" (Wild Pitch mix) 8:22
# "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" (Grandballroom mix) 6:39
# "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" (Wild Pitch dub) 7:45
* 'CD: EMI / 8 81270 2 (Germany)'
# "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" (Beatmasters 7-inch) 4:45
# "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" (extended nude mix) 7:49
# "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" (Wild Pitch mix) 8:22
# "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" (Voxigen mix) 6:25
* 'CD: EMI / E2-58122 (US)'
# "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" (album version) 3:04
# "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" (club mix) 7:10
# "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" (Wild Pitch mix) 8:22
# "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" (extended nude mix) 7:48
# "West End Girls" (sasha mix) 7:45
# "Violence" (Haienda version) 4:58
# "Too Many People" 4:19
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
References
Category:1992 songs
Category:1993 singles
Category:Music videos directed by Howard Greenhalgh
Category:Parlophone singles
Category:Pet Shop Boys songs
Category:Songs written by Chris Lowe
Category:Songs written by Neil Tennant
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